SC allows Shegaon sansthan to acquire land for expansion

Nagpur: In a major respite to Gajanan Maharaj Sansthan of Shegaon, Supreme Court on Thursday allowed it to acquire land at Matangwadi for its future plans.
The sansthan was demanding the land for building facilities for lakhs of pilgrims who visit the shrine throughout the year. However, 20 residents there had opposed the move.
The court’s directive came while hearing a petition (WP No 5856/2007) by Shegaon citizens — Anandilal Bhutada and Suresh Jaipuriya. On various occasions, Nagpur bench of Bombay high court had directed the government to complete developmental works with a view to accommodate more number of devotees, but in vain.
The slum land of Matangwadi was ordered to be handed over to the sansthan by the HC on April 5 last year. Earlier, there were 87 huts on this land. Later, homes were constructed through MHADA for rehabilitation of the slum dwellers after which they moved to new homes. The slum dwellers had challenged the HC orders in the apex court.
Even through regarded as one of most popular pilgrimage centres of India, the Shegaon sansthan’s plans could not materialize, all these years, primarily on account of non-cooperation from the local municipal council and Maharashtra government’s apathy. It required HC’s hammering to clear the land of encroachments.